Theatre Now New York to Open Raw Reading Series with SPEAK OF THE DEVIL, 2/8

SPEAK OF THE DEVIL, a play about the "Great Agnostic" Robert Ingersoll will be presented on Sunday, February 8, 2015.

Raw Readings are FREE and open to the public. New York, New York - Theatre Now New York will open its Raw Reading Series with a FREE public reading of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL by Richard F. Stockton, revised by Marsha Lee Sheiness, and directed by Robert Kalfin, Sunday, February 8, 2015 at 3:00PM at 520 8th Avenue, 3rd floor, in Manhattan. A wine and cheese reception with the artists will follow.

SPEAK OF THE DEVIL is a two-act comedy-drama by Richard F. Stockton, revised by Marsha Lee Sheiness. Based on the life of the 19th century "Great Agnostic," Robert Ingersoll, the play encourages people to lead active, thoughtful, responsible and independent lives, rejecting interference from a religious right committed to insinuating ideology into politics, civil rights, education, our health care systems, and our daily lives. SPEAK OF THE DEVIL dramatizes what happens when a man, rich with native wit, robust humor, love of family and extreme courage, refuses -- at risk to himself and those he holds dear -- to neither put a padlock on his tongue, nor shackles on his brain. SPEAK OF THE DEVIL is a call for conscientious, caring decisions, not only for ourselves but for society at large. The reading of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL will be the first in Theatre Now New York's 2015 Raw Reading Series.

Theatre Now New York is a non-profit organization that facilitates the creation and development of new theatrical works as well as the re-imagining of previously produced known titles and the reinterpretation of classic works through productions, readings, workshops and work-in-progress presentations. The Raw Reading Series presents readings of new plays at all stages of development. Participation by the audience is an integral part of the Raw Reading process, which serves as an important step in the evolution of a new play or musical such as this new revision of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL.

SPEAK OF THE DEVIL was written by the Richard F. Stockton, the first American playwright to receive a world premiere at the Abbey, Ireland's National Theatre for his play PRISONER OF THE CROWN, co-produced by Sir Alfred Drake. SPEAK OF THE DEVIL was produced twice in New York: at the Lambs Theatre under the title "One World at a Time;" and at The Chernuchin under the title "Royal Bob" starring Larry Bryggman. Other full-length plays include LOVE AMONG THE PLATYPI (Bucks County Playhouse), TILL THE DAY BREAK (Old Salem Corporation), THE TRIAL OF CAPTAIN JOHN BROWN, (Louisville Little Theatre), THE HOUSE SHALL TREMBLE (UCLA), THE WEED BOUQUET (The Playwrights Showcase in New Orleans); and THE LITTER OF FLOWERS (The Little Theatre of Jacksonville). Books for musical adaptations of classics include THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER (Town Hall); THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER; ANDROCLES AND THE LION, produced by The National Theatre Company and toured nationally by Fran and Barry Weissler. He also penned numerous television dramas for CBS, The Great Adventure, CBC, and The U.S. Steel Hour, a dozen radio plays produced internationally for The BBC, CBC and New Zealand Radio.

Marsha Lee Sheiness' plays have been produced Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway, Television, Regional, Community, University, and High Schools, also in Japan, Canada, England, and New Zealand. Awards: National Endowment for the Arts for Playwriting: Director, Playwriting teacher. Member: Dramatist Guild, WGE, PEN, AEA, SAG. Publishers: Dramatic Publishing, Samuel French, ArtAge Publications. Director Robert Kalfin, the founder of New York's Tony Award­winning Chelsea Theater Center, has directed over 200 plays, including productions on Broadway, Television, Off­Broadway, American and Canadian regional theaters, and many countries abroad. The book, "Chelsea on the Edge" details his contributions to the American Theater. His Broadway credits include HAPPY END with Meryl Streep and Christopher Lloyd; YENTL with Tovah Feldshuh; the Gospel Musical TRULY BLESSED (A Celebration of Mahalia Jackson); STRIDER (The Story of a Horse); and as Chelsea Co­-Producer of the Harold Prince production of CANDIDE. His television production of THE PRINCE OF HOMBURG starring Frank Langella for PBS's Theater In America "Great Performances" Series is now available on DVD. Representative work includes the off-­Broadway productions of A BRUSH WITH GEORGIA O'KEEFFE [also performed at the Smithsonian Museum]; MARIE ANTOINETTE ­­THE COLOR OF FLESH; ANNA CHRISTIE [Metropolitan Playhouse]; THE SHANGHAI GESTURE [Mirror Repertory Company]; TO PAY THE PRICE at the Mint Theatre; THE DISPUTATION starring Theo Bikel at the Coconut Grove Playhouse; OTHELLO for the Cornell Schwartz Performing Arts Center and GALILEO for the NYU Skirball Center for the Arts.

Theatre Now New York Artistic Director, Thomas Morrissey, has helped develop and produce new plays and musicals including the East Coast Premiere of KINGDOM, the world premiere of THE LAST SUNDAY IN JUNE, and the East Coast Premiere of THE BREAK-UP NOTEBOOK. Stephen Bishop Seely, Literary Manager of Theatre Now New York and Producer of SOUND BITES, has helped develop several Off-Broadway and Broadway shows including Disney's TARZAN, Rock WILK'S BROKE WIDE OPEN, and 8 MILLION PROTAGONISTS.